Heritage development grants for commercial heritage buildings are now available from the Christchurch City Council.

The scheme will run for a trial period of three years, after which it will be reviewed with consideration being given to extending it to the whole city.

The grants will be limited to five years and buildings involved will have a conservation covenant placed on the titles to ensure the long-term retention of the buildings.

Payment of the grant will start after satisfactory completion of the work and will start in the year rates increase as a result of the new work and not from a general property revaluation.

Further information: Jenny May, senior heritage planner: 371 1518.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>